First and foremost, you're under no obligation to throw one--or even attend one if someone else is throwing one. Your guests should be satisfied with all the wining and dining you'll be doing at the wedding reception. And if your or your groom's parents are insisting on a brunch and you 100% don't want to be there, just ask them not to say anything like "Join the bride and groom for brunch" on the invites so no one expects you to attend.

Keep it casual.

Out-of-town wedding guests will be thankful for the meal before they hit the road, but since they'll be traveling at different times, expect a revolving door of visitors rather than ones that stick around for the whole time.

Choose a buffet rather than a sit-down meal.

For the same reasons above. With a plated brunch, you're on a stricter schedule. When guests can take food whenever, they're able to come and go as they please.

Pick the right time.

You don't want to make it too early, since, with any luck, your guests will be tuckered out from all the partying they did the night before at your wedding reception. You also don't want to make it too late so their entire day is consumed by yet another wedding event. Starting at 10 or 11 and ending by 1 or 2 seems just right. And make brunch at least two hours long, the minimum for giving guests a chance to sit and relax before they take off.

Printed invitations aren't necessary.

My friend recently decided to have a post-wedding brunch…after her wedding invitations were already printed up. She was stressed that the brunch invitations wouldn't exactly match the wedding invites. Besides the fact that no one would care if the brunch cards were ballet pink versus cotton-candy pink, you can send brunch evites, add the info to your wedding Web site (if everyone's invited), include a note in your wedding ceremony programs, or spread the word verbally. But by all means, if you can include a card with your invites, go for it.

Whoever wants the brunch should pay for it.

As with all wedding events, there are no set rules (anymore) on who funds what. If you're cool with skipping brunch, but your parents aren't, it falls on them to come up with the cash for it. It's fine if brunch is in their home instead of a restaurant or hall, but they have to provide enough food to feed the folks who are attending.

You don't have to invite the whole wedding guest list.

If brunch is in someone's house, and their home isn't the size of the Playboy Mansion, then it's not feasible to include all 150 or so of your wedding reception guests. In that case, refer to rehearsal dinner invite rules: wedding party and dates, immediate family, and out-of-town guests. But even that's a general guideline--you can really invite whomever you want. Just don't put the info up on your wedding Web site if you're excluding some wedding guests (or password protect that section so only those who are invited can get the details).

Are you having a post-wedding brunch? Have anything to add to this list of planning tips? What do you think of post-wedding brunches?

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